Washing machine agitator assembly



July 8, 1958 e. 1. COCKERILL.

WASHING MACHINE AGITATOR ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 17, 1955 v. n \\\\k 1 United States Patent WASHING MACHINE AGITATOR ASSEMBLY Gerald I. Cockerill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, assignor to J. H. Conner & Son, Limited, Hull, Quebec, Canada Application October 17, 1955, Serial No. 540,912 Claims priority, application Canada December 10, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 68-433) This relates to a new and improved washing machine agitator assembly.

In washing machines wherein a metal agitator is supported by means of a bearing surface carried by the agitator and co-operating with a bearing surface formed on a fixed tubular casing extending upwardly from the bottom of the washing tub, two major difliculties have been encountered in practice. The first of these is electrolytic action between the metal from which the agitator itself is constructed, e. g. aluminum, and the metal of the memher on which the agitator bearing surface is carried, e. g. brass.

In the past such bearings have usually been brazed to the agitator and thus are, to all intents and purposes, integral with the agitator. This gives rise to the second difliculty which is the expense of the replacement of a worn agitator bearing. Such wear may well occur due to the presence of sand between the bearing surfaces, and would necessitate replacement of the entire agitator.

According to the present invention a Washing machine agitator assembly of the type wherein support for the agitator is provided by co-operation between a bearing surface carried by the agitator and a bearing surface formed on a fixed tubular casing projecting upwardly from the bottom of the washing tub, comprises an agitator and a bearing surface member detachably mounted within the central cavity of said agitator.

In the preferred form of the present invention said bearing surface member is of a non-metallic material such as a synthetic resinous material which remains hard at all temperatures normally encountered in the tub of a washing machine, i. e. well above the boiling point of water.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal axial section of a wash ing machine agitator assembly.

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary underside perspective view of the assembly shown in Figure l with the bearing surface member removed, and

Figure 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the bearing surface member shown in Figure 1.

As is common with the type of agitator with which this invention is concerned, an agitator 1 has a central cavity 2. At a point along the length of the central cavity 2 (at the point of commencement of the flared base 3 of the agitator) is formed a plurality of radial, inwardly extending buttress members 4. The buttress members 4 are preferably uniformly spaced about the central cavity 2 and of such a length that the planes of their inner surfaces 5 are all tangential to'the same cylinder.

A groove 6 is formed in the inner surface 5 of each A split ring 7 which when normally closed has an internal diameter slightly less than the diameter of the aforesaid 2 cylinder embraced by the inner surfaces 5 of the buttress members 4, is mounted in the grooves 6.

Held in position by the buttress members 4 and the split ring 7, is a bearing surface member 8 of a synthetic resinous material of a type which remains firm at tem peratures up to and well above that of boiling water. It

has a main body portion 9 which is generally cylindrical,

has an outside diameter such that it is snug fit between the inner surfaces 5 of the buttress members 4 and is held firmly therein by pressure of the split ring 7. At the outer end of the body portion 9 an outwardly extending flange 10 is formed, the undersurface 11 of which constitutes the bearing surface. Two similar diametrically opposed projecting stops 12 are formed on the upper surface 13 of the flange 10, the arcuate length of each stop 12 being substantially equal to but no greater than the distance between any two buttress members 4. The end 14 of the body portionremote from the flange 10 is preferably bevelled to facilitate insertion of the bearing.

During assembly, the bearing surface member 8 is inserted between the inner surfaces 5 of the buttress members 4 and the bevelled end 14 engages the split ring 7 which is thus forced to expand sufficiently to receive the full outside diameter of the body portion 9 of the hearing surface member 8. The bearing is then pressed home until the upper surface 13 of the flange 10 abuts against the shoulders 15 of the buttress members 4. If necessary, the bearing surface member 8 should be rotated until the stops 12 fit each between two adjacent buttress members 4.

The bearing surface member 8 is thus held firmly between the inner surfaces 5 of the buttress members 4, any slack being taken up by the split ring 7. Moreover, independent rotation of the bearing surface member 8 is prevented by engagement of each of the stops 12 with either one of the buttress members 4 to either side of it. Of course, since an agitator oscillates, it is preferable that the stops 12 fit between adjacent buttress members 4 as tightly as possible consistent with facile detachability of the member 8.

The whole agitator assembly may now be rotatably mounted on a flange 16 of'a tubular casing 17 which extends upwardly from the bottom of the washing tub, the underside 11 of the bearing surface member 8 resting on a bearing surface formed about such casing.

Shaft 18 extends upwardly through the tubular casing 17, the upper end of shaft 18 engaging the inner surface of a bushing 19 which is permanently secured within the upper end of the agitator 1. Oscillation of the agitator is thus effected by oscillation of the shaft 18 in the conventional manner, the shaft 18 being driven by a motor (not shown).

It may be clearly seen that such a bearing surface member as has just been described is easily replaceable should it become worn or otherwise damaged. More over, the use of a non-metallic material such as a synthetic resinous material instead of brass, as has previously been used in bearing surfaces in such assemblies, eliminates the possibility of electrolytic action occurring between the bearing surface member and the agitator proper.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a washing tub, a. fixed tubular casing projecting upwardly from the bottom of said tub, a generally horizontal bearing surface on said casing, an agitator defining a central cavity and surrounding said casing, a member formed of a synthetic resinous material of a type which remains hard at all temperatures normally encountered in the tub of a washing machine, said member including a cylindrical body portion, means for detachably mounting said member on said agitator within said cavity, said last-mentioned means comprising a pin- 3. rality'of radial'buttress members formed on said agitator and extending inwardly into the said cavity thereof, the inner faces of said buttress members lying on a common imaginary cylinder, grooves in said faces lying in a common horizontal plane a resilient split ring mounted in 1 flange, said projection fitting snugly between an adjacent pair of said buttress members to prevent relative rotation between said member and said agitator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,755,419 Anderson Apr. 22, 1930 2,034,527 Nelson Mar. 17, 1936 2,098,075 Watts Nov. 2, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 342,302 France July 4, 1904 511,667

Belgium June 14, 1952 

